The Hammer in His Hands: Total Submission to God’s Perfect Will

RJBoatman Revival Ministries Bible Study Series

“The Hammer in His Hands: Total Submission to God’s Will”

Required Materials: Bible, Personal Journal, Writing Supplies

Introduction:

Many of us have been taught to pray to God for wisdom, discernment, and guidance in making the right decisions throughout life.

Yet, when our choices don’t lead to the outcomes we desire, we often question God — wondering if it’s His fault — or we begin to doubt our ability to hear or understand His direction.

Some claim that the greatest gift God gave to humanity is free will… but what if we could offer that back?

If God is infallible, wouldn’t surrendering to His perfect will allow us to live without error as well?

What if we could make better decisions concerning our relationships, our finances, our health?

What if we could stop failing?

In this RJBoatman Revival Ministries Bible Study Series, we will explore the profound idea of giving God complete control over our lives. What if we allowed Him to be both the architect and the carpenter of our lives — fully submitting to His plan and letting Him shape every thought, action, and word?

Often, we pray for God to give us wisdom and guidance to make the right decisions, speak the right words, and take the right steps — essentially, to “swing the hammer straight.” But what if we stopped trying to “swing the hammer” ourselves, and instead became the hammer in God’s hands?

This study challenges us to trust in God’s perfect will, allowing Him to guide every aspect of our lives, knowing that His hands never miss the mark. As we journey through Scripture, we will discover the freedom, peace, and power that come from total submission to God.

Lesson 1: The Architect and the Carpenter

Key Scripture: Isaiah 64:8 — “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

Concept:

God is both the architect and the carpenter of our lives. Often, we try to follow His plans with our own limited efforts, thinking we must control the outcome. But what would it look like to give Him complete control, allowing Him to be both the designer and the builder?

Like a potter with clay, God can mold us perfectly when we fully surrender. As the hammer in His hands, we move from trying to control our lives to trusting His perfect craftsmanship.

Reflection Activity:

In your journal, reflect on areas of your life where you’ve been trying to control the outcome. What would it look like to fully surrender and allow God to take over completely? Write down these areas and pray for the courage to release them into His hands.

Discussion Questions:

1. What areas of your life are you still trying to control? How can you begin to fully surrender them to God?

   
   

2. How can you view yourself as a tool in God’s hands, trusting that His craftsmanship is perfect?

Lesson 2: Becoming the Hammer

Key Scripture: Romans 12:1 — “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship.”

Concept:

Becoming the hammer in God’s hands means offering ourselves as living sacrifices, fully submitted to His will. A hammer doesn’t choose where or how it strikes; it simply responds to the direction of the carpenter. Similarly, we are called to surrender our will and follow God’s direction, trusting Him to guide us in every step. Our “true and proper worship” is living fully in submission to God’s will, allowing Him to work through us in all ways.

Journaling Activity:

Reflect on a time when you struggled to surrender control in a particular situation. Write about what it felt like to hold on to control, then imagine how it might feel to completely release that control, becoming the hammer in God’s hands. What would change?

Discussion Questions:

1. What does being a “living sacrifice” mean for you in practical, daily life?

   
   

2. How would your approach to relationships, decisions, or actions change if you fully trusted God’s direction?

Lesson 3: Trusting the Hands that Swing the Hammer

Key Scripture: Proverbs 3:5–6 — “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Concept:

Trust is the foundation of complete submission. To be the hammer in God’s hands, we must trust fully in His wisdom and guidance. Human efforts often falter, but God’s hands never miss the mark. The hammer doesn’t question the carpenter; it simply performs the task it was made for. Trusting God means surrendering our own understanding and allowing Him to direct us with perfect precision, knowing His ways are higher than ours.

Journaling Activity:

Write about a time when you tried to follow God’s plan but felt like you missed the mark. Reflect on how trusting God completely could have changed that situation. How can you approach future challenges with a deeper trust in His guidance?

Discussion Questions:

1. Why is it difficult to fully trust God’s control, even though we know He is perfect?

   
   

2. What steps can you take to cultivate a deeper trust in God’s ability to guide your every move?

Lesson 4: Free Will — A Gift to Give Back

Key Scripture: Matthew 26:39 — “Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.’”

Concept:

Free will is one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity, but what if we chose to give it back to Him? In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus modeled the ultimate act of surrender when He prayed, “Not as I will, but as You will.”

To align our will with God’s is to give up control and trust that His plan is perfect — even when it leads us through difficult seasons. In this lesson, we will reflect on what it means to surrender our will to God, choosing to align our desires with His greater purpose.

Journaling Activity:

Spend time journaling about the idea of surrendering your free will to God. How have you exercised your free will in the past? What would it mean for you to give it back to God, allowing Him to take complete control? Reflect on how this act of surrender could bring greater peace and purpose to your life.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane serve as a model for surrendering our will to God?

   
   

2. How might your life change if you chose to give your free will back to God, living fully in alignment with His will?

Lesson 5: Walking in His Infallible Perfection

Key Scripture: Galatians 2:20 — “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Concept:

When we fully submit to God’s control, we no longer live by our own strength, but Christ lives through us. By becoming the hammer in His hands, we walk in His infallible perfection, no longer bound by our human limitations.

As we surrender more fully, Christ’s power flows through us, enabling us to accomplish His will in ways we never could on our own. This lesson focuses on what it means to live a life consumed by Christ, walking daily in His power and perfection.

Journaling Activity:

Journal about what it means for you to walk in God’s perfection. How can you surrender more fully, allowing Christ to live through you? What areas of your life still need to be surrendered for you to experience the fullness of His power and perfection?

Discussion Questions:

1. How can we practically live out Galatians 2:20, allowing Christ to live through us in every aspect of life?

   
   

2. What areas of your life do you need to surrender more fully to experience walking in God’s infallible perfection?

Conclusion: The Hammer in His Hands — Living a Life of Total Submission

This study calls us to live lives of total surrender, allowing God to be both the architect and the carpenter of our lives. By becoming the hammer in His hands, we find freedom in His perfect will. As we release our control and trust Him fully, we are no longer bound by our own frailties but empowered to live in His strength and direction.

Walking in total submission is not a loss of control, but the greatest act of faith — giving us peace, purpose, and power as we align with God’s perfect plan.

Final Reflection and Journaling:

As you complete this study, reflect on your personal journey of surrender. What areas have you begun to surrender to God’s control? Where do you still hold back? Journal about the steps you will take to continue walking as the hammer in God’s hands, fully trusting Him as both the architect and the carpenter of your life.

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